By KALEY CONNER

kconner@dailynews.net

Friday morning's annual mad dash has come and gone, and many Hays retailers said they were pleased with the weekend's results.

With sales starting at 5 a.m., Walmart Supercenter, 4301 Vine, attracted thousands of early morning shoppers on Black Friday. While exact results have yet to be calculated, store manager Mike Konz said the event likely exceeded last year's.

"We had, I think, more customers in the store than what we have in the past," Konz said. "I thought it went well. Everybody was courteous and it was really, really busy."

The store also implemented some changes to help with the traffic flow. Various electronic items were distributed throughout the store, which separated the long lines of waiting customers and helped the crowd move more efficiently, Konz said. Maps were available on the store's Web site so customers could know where to line up.

Several police officers also were present.

Not surprisingly, items like laptop computers and flat screen televisions sold quickly. However, this year's event also saw an increased interest in domestic goods and household appliances, Konz said, which could be attributed to economic woes.

"I think people are probably being more cautious, and maybe that's why some of those household items and domestic items sold so well," he said. "I certainly think we're doing well and kind of holding steady with last year, but I do think people are probably a little more cautious ... and probably really reacting to the sales as a way to save money and stretch their dollar."

Electronics also remained a popular draw at Hasting's Books Music & Video, 3300 Vine, where a crowd was waiting at 8 a.m. to get the hottest bargains on Blu-ray players and movies. The store had more merchandise on sale this year, and exceeded its sales projections, said Assistant Manager Wayne Williams.

"It was all-in-all a good day," Williams said. "This year was one of the better crowds, a little more understanding, which it made it a lot easier once we let everybody in."

Pat Rinke, store manager at Stage department store, located inside The Mall, also said concerns about the state of the economy could be influencing customers' shopping habits. The store fared well Friday, but the crowd was a little lighter than last year, she said, noting that could be partly because the store was so new during the 2008 holiday shopping season.

"We're doing extremely well, considering, but I can see people are being more selective in their buying," Rinke said. "They're watching for sales; they're taking advantage of sales more."

Business remained steady through Friday afternoon, with buy-one-get-one clothing sales proving the most popular bargain, she said.

"Overall, I'm pleased with the way things turned out," Rinke said. "I don't think any merchant in The Mall or the city of Hays will say they did outstandingly well, but I think everyone can be pretty pleased."